Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review

I’ve always been more interested in Han Solo than Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford is very obviously the other way round.

So, a fifth Indy. I like one to three, and four definitely is a film that exists. This one is a firm OK. It’s alright! Some decent action set pieces and a few nice one-liners. I enjoyed it enough as I was watching it, though there were things that I found quite distracting. We’ll get to that. As there are other things to consider.

Dial of Destiny made me think.

It made me think about time and life. Made me consider how I have lived and how I should live going forward. It makes me think of my Dad. How he moves and how he reminisces. His relationships and regrets. And it made me think of my daughter in comparison. How she doesn’t know what a newspaper is, and he can’t work a smartphone.

They are both of their time; one in their twilight years, the other with it all ahead of them.

There’s a power in how Ford plays Jones. How he doesn’t hide his age. He’s grumpy and can’t see how he fits into an age of space exploration, peace, and love. I admire that he had confidence enough in his own ability to wait and make a story that meant something to him and the character.

But there is a distraction. De-ageing still isn’t quite there, managing to make Indy feel both young and old at the same time. When you’re very aware of how someone moves and talks at various ages, it’s hard to see past what you know is a magic trick. It’s not as obvious as Di Nero in The Irishman; the tech is improving, even if I’m not sure it should be used. I do however understand why it was used in this story. Focusing on the nature of life and time, it would be hard not to.

I did wonder what shape this review would take. I’d heard about its financial performance. And it didn’t grab me enough to watch it last year. I haven’t even spoken about the rest of the cast! As you might know, I’m big on how a film makes me feel. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny might not be as thrilling as the earlier entries. It may not have blown me away. But it made me feel and it made me think. That’s to be respected.